Federal Government of Nigeria has constituted a team of implementation committee to ensure the implementation of the strategic catchment management plans produced, validated, and endorsed for the 19 ACReSAL states and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
It was organised by the World Bank team and Federal Project Management Unit for the 19 ACReSAL States and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja held in Minna, the Niger State capital, last Thursday.
The National project coordinator of ACReSAL, Abdasulhamid Umar stated this in an interview with Journalists, saying, “This will provide road map and classical footprint for the industrial and non-industrial efforts in each of the 19 Northern States and the FCT Abuja “.
Abdulhamid Umar stressed that ACReSAL paid for the production of the 20 strategic catchment management plans, which will now give direction, where the Federal Government investment, private sector investments, and state government investments can easily be guided on the most viable locations.
The National project coordinator of ACReSAL added that the team was in Niger state to support the state ACReSAL in terms of project implementation, emphasizing that the Federal Government has contracted the development of twenty strategic management plans across the 19 ACReSAL States and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
He noted that the development partners like African Development Bank and other European investments that come in will also be guided and shown clear footprints where this will be viable and it will be for the betterment of the communities that they intend to service.
So this plan, according to Umar is a classical road map that is envisioned by the project ACReSAL as sponsored by the Federal Government of Nigeria and supported by the 19 Northern states with the funding of the World Bank.
The Niger State project coordinator, Raji Shehu Adam in his presentation, said the Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes Project, ACreSal has given the Engineers in charge of Mokwa Environmental Reclamation two weeks to come up with a reversed engineering document that will serve as the proper implementation of the project.
Raji made this known at the Hybrid Implementation Support Mission organized by World Bank team and the Federal Project Management Unit for the Nineteen ACReSAL states and the Federal Capital Territory held in Minna.
He said the objective of the Hybrid Support Mission was to equip participants with technological and scientific skills on how to calculate hectares and also report ACReSal activities accurately.
The programme was attended by the bank team, the Federal Project Management Team, the 20 state project coordinators, M&Es, GIS, and Communication Officers have all converged in Niger state for the Hybrid Technical Support Mission.
The mission also had two legs, while the technical session took place at SIYYAM International Conference Centre, the second leg of Strategic Management Plan was held at the Guddel Hotel, Minna where the validation of the two catchment management plans was done.
On the challenges faced during the conference, the state coordinator said; “I feel fulfilled. I feel delighted. It’s not easy hosting several people, specialists, and even from the International Community. We have teaching challenges, most especially for those that came from the International Community and the Bank Team.
“They had challenges in terms of their feeding, though we thank God we have been able to surmount that; by and large, I think it has all been successful.
“The testimonies we’ve received from the participants, ranging from the whole logistics, feeding, and accommodation”.
The Task Team Leader, Dr Joy Iganya Agane advocated for the sustainability of the ACReSAl project at the state level even after the expiration of the contract with the World Bank.
The Commissioner for Environment and Climate Change, Alhaji Yakubu Muhammad Kolo said the state Governor, Mohammed Umaru Bago has identified ACReSAL as one of the best key partners in water and Environmental conservation.
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